NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The work of The First 72+ has expanded to continue its help for the formerly incarcerated in New Orleans.
“We say we serve two groups of people: opportunity youth 18-30 who need these services the most and then folks who’ve been paroled if you’ve been incarcerated for 20, 30, 40, sometimes 50 years. We want to make sure you have a safe landing spot when you come back home,” said Executive Director Troy Glover.
The additional building is named in honor of the late co-founder Ben Smith. In a ceremony that included a number of luminaries, Council Vice President Helena Moreno recalled the organization’s humble beginnings.
“It took for Ben to be there in his van in the dark in the middle of the night outside of Angola, waiting for someone he likely barely knew, but he knew he wanted to help them,” said Moreno.
The assistance of the agency continues with an emphasis on getting clients grounded within the first 72 hours of being released from prison.
“We ensure that they have all of the resources needed to get back into society. That’s transitional housing, access to care, mental support, access to jobs, job creation, etc.,” said Glover.
The program also employs ex-offenders. When Troy Delone was released from Angola, he says the First 72+ helped bolster his self-esteem.
“You don’t feel that sometimes. You feel a sense of judgment, like someone’s looking down on you or something, but their motto is ‘us helping us’, we’ve been there before. Nobody can look down on nobody in here so. It’s also about just helping somebody to make that transition from prison to society,” stated Delone.
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